Summary
Super Mario RPGbrings back a classic romp through the Mushroom Kingdom and even beyond after being left on the SNES and Virtual Console for 27 years. The adventure gives players tons of bosses to fight, plenty of secrets to uncover, and seven Star Pieces to find to restore balance so wishes can be granted once more. It’s not hard to see whySuper Mario RPGis so loved as fans make their way through the game on Switch as important elements such as combat, platforming, and each and every bit of dialogue are just fun to experience until the very end.
However, asSuper Mario RPGis a faithful remake through and through, it naturally shows a bit of its age as a game going back as far as 1996. While it’s a perfectly fine, short, and sweet RPG for its time and still holds up today, there are a few places where the game falls short compared to more recent experiences in the same genre. As asequel is onSuper Mario RPG’s director’s mind, and a remake on the market to prove interest through sales, there’s a higher chance than ever forSMRPGto truly return and be better than it ever was before.
How Super Mario RPG Could Evolve to Make Up For Lost Time
How Recent Mario RPGs Have Improved Upon Super Mario RPG
WhileSuper Mario RPGhasn’t gotten much attention over the years, there’s been no absence ofMariospin-offsfor this genre in particular, asPaper MarioandMario & Luigihave kept it alive and well. At the very least,Paper Mariowas conceptualized originally as anSMRPGsequel, so asPaper Mariokept pieces from the first SNES RPG with it, the formula and expectation for role-playingMarioadventures also evolved.Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Doorfor example is fondly praised for having a funny yet detailed storyline and how it embraced the “paper” Mario gimmick.
Super Mario RPGfalls flat in terms of story compared to the games that preceded it, bothMarioand not. While this isn’t entirelya flaw forSuper Mario RPGas it makes the world worth exploring regardless of the story, there’s no harm in having a more intense story with characters and a world that fans already know. In fact, having a more engaging story could help add variety to the same locations fans already know, making the revisit interesting.
Super Mario RPG Can Keep the Retro Turn-Based Gameplay But Expand It
One of the things that makesSMRPGunique is its classic turn-based RPG style. While all theMarioRPG games so far are turn-based,Super Mario RPGoffers the same experienceit had back in 1996, calling back the bygone days of classicFinal Fantasymore than anything recent. In this day in age of gaming, these games feeling this exact way are a rarity, and Nintendo should hone in on this particular feeling instead of looking to replace it. That doesn’t mean that it’s exhausted all of its options, however.
A new story means the return of old threats or brand-new ones. Either way dictates that any potentialSuper Mario RPGsequel would have to come up with new enemies, and there’s a precedent that could be caused by the nature of being a sequel to make it harder and require even more strategy than before.
Not only could this be refreshing for those who like the more retro-style RPG experiences, but theSMRPGsequel could easily take inspiration fromMario & Luigifor its moredynamic Action Commands. While aSuper Mario RPGsequel has hardly been announced just yet, the remake certainly proves that the unique SNES classic can certainly manage to blend the old with the new.
Super Mario RPG
WHERE TO PLAY
Set out on a classic Mario adventure: Enter—or revisit—a world of whimsy with Mario on a quest to repair Star Road and defeat the troublemaking Smithy Gang. Team up with a party of unlikely allies, like the monstrous Bowser and a mysterious doll named Geno, in a story-rich RPG packed with laughs and quirky characters.A strange party unites to save Star Road: Meet the team of oddballs setting out to thwart the troublesome Smithy Gang and protect everyone’s wishes. Even Bowser is lending a claw!Take it easy with Breezy Difficulty Mode: Players new to RPGs or who want a story-focused experience can use the new Breezy difficulty, which makes battles easier and leveling up faster. You can set the difficulty at any time if you change your mind.Adventure, battle, and traverse across a colorful world: Jump towards your next goal and continue the story. Run into monsters to enter turn-based battles with your party of three. Master the new Chain and Triple Moves system to claim victory.A delightfully reimagined world: Enjoy familiar sights with colorfully enhanced graphics and spiffy upgrades.
